something pink

Long, long ago - (well, back when I was in high school)

In a faraway land - (that would be Kansas - it's kind of far from Boston)

I made myself a gingham notebook (I'm not sure why I made myself a notebook rather than going to the local dime store - but then, that's not really the point of the story)

Anyway, this gingham notebook served as my very special journal

- a chronicle of my teenage days - thoughts, hopes, dramas...

I found it stashed away in a trunk, having made it through several moves.

Without opening the journal, I remembered all that it contained,

and how much it had meant to me.

And as I began to transition away from "away for the weekend"

this journal served as the inspiration for my new blog - Gingham Notebook

(without the teenage angst and drama)

- focusing on the everyday - photos, stories - everyday rambles

This will be my final post on away for the weekend,
I hope you will join me at karenlakis.com/

I wish you a very happy and safe new year!

Thanks for dropping in!

quiet time

I had a wonderful time with my family, this Christmas

- and now that the festivities have ended,

I'm so very thankful that I work for a university that closes 

for the week between Christmas and the new year.

- for this quiet time -

I am joining Michelle for Thankful Thursday

ever elusive sunset

Here on the east coast - I often think of photographing the sunrise

- but rarely a sunset

Our view to the east is - well - prettier

- besides, I am normally busy at work when the sun sets

Just take the afternoon off - I thought

combine Christmas shopping with a sunset photoshoot - I thought

find an open area - I thought

two birds with one stone - I thought

Yeah, well, shopping was awesome

- sunset photoshoot - not so much 

- too many buildings in the city - who knew?

The golden glow from the late afternoon sun was pretty, though

and making time to wander aimlessly,

is something I am so very thankful for during this busy time of year.

Sunset... to be continued...

I am joining Michelle for Thankful Thursday

This is likely my last post before Christmas

I wish you all a very happy, safe holiday - however you celebrate!

family holidays

As the weather turn cold

and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us

I am thankful for a warm home

and a family to share Christmas with.

I am joining Michelle for Thankful Thursday

photo favorites

As I am planning my transition to a new blog,
I have been sorting through all my photos
I need some focus...

Fair warning - this is a long post (for me)
I thought about splitting it in two, but then thought
Nah, let's just go for the gusto

Some of my favorites photos - to be very frank - are terrible, in a technical sense.
But - they speak to me in one way or another

So - in no particular order -

Taken in Laura's hospital room with my iPhone - the lighting was horrendous!

This photo is a story in itself - and one I will never forget.

Auntie Maggie meets her newborn niece.

One of my early Vermont photos, and still one of my favorites -

This is Vermont - weathered sugar shack, rusty pickup truck and muted gray sky

Okay - yeah - I don't know. I don't even like the colors very well

- but, it's a path, and paths speak to me

A quiet afternoon - Greg with our infant granddaughter.

Enough said.

As it turns out - as much as I like snapping photos of barns,

I like old school houses even better.

Greg and I stumbled on this one room schoolhouse and returned to catch it in the early morning light. I goofed with the ISO, but tell myself that the added noise enhances the old-time feel.

I'm sticking with that...

Okay - so I don't even know these people
It was a relatively quiet day at the beach and I was watching the colorful kite
- then noticed the little girl - the joy in her arms, reaching for the kite

Taken with my iPhone - I love everything about this photo.

Attending my nephew's wedding, the sun setting beyond the trees cast a soft radiance.

Laura loves being a mother, and Ella is a happy baby - smiling at her dad, outside the frame.

Sooo - there you have it
 - these are my favorites and not necessarily my best -
The selection process wasn't easy - it would seem that I have a preference for soft lighting, quiet settings, and family scenes -
and - if you have been following me for any length of time,

you will probably remember me saying - more than once

I DON'T DO PEOPLE

well - time to learn...

If your photos have a theme, what would it be?

Thanks for dropping in!

thankful

"Look around, breathe in, and be thankful" - unknown

For the last three months that we've had our puppy, Chessie,

I have had early morning walk duty - my choice.

Most mornings, it's still dark when we venture out

Weekend mornings - Chessie seems to enjoy "sleeping in" as much as I do,

and we postpone our walk until the sun begins to rise

- and a paintbrush has splashed it's colors against the sky.

I am thankful for these early morning walks with my pup,

and the awe I feel at the beauty surrounding me.

I am joining Michelle for Thankful Thursday

Photo-challenge #23 - quote

scene and story - november

It was just one year ago - last Thanksgiving -

that Laura and Jeff announced an upcoming addition to our family.

A couple of months later, my niece and her husband made a similar announcement.

With much excitement and anticipation, we looked forward our holiday get-together
- two new babies for Thanksgiving dinner!

So - what do you get when you decide to photograph two babies propped in chair?
- two toppling tykes
- a gaggle of grownups with cameras
- a bunch of perfectly imperfect photos
- and a whole lot of laughs

I am still amazed - and dazed - at the whirlwind that was this past year
- and the wonderful way in which our family has morphed.

It's going to be a lot of fun watching these two cousins grow together
- and with any luck our next photo will include our third family addition,
- our labrador puppy -
yeah - adding an exuberant 50 pound pup to this shoot seemed a bit like a recipe for chaos
- and so - this was November in a nutshell.

I am joining Sarah and Leon for Scene and Story

Thanks for dropping in!